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ECOLOGICAL ASPECTS

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Photo by:Edu Carvalho Photo from: Pexels Edited By: Glorivette Correa

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ECOLOGICAL ASPECTS ECOLOGICAL

Where is the problem located? Is the city, or the lack of natural elements, the cause of this problem?

Recognizing the lack of psychological services and that psychotherapy is identified as the main tool to treat mental health problems, we can determine that this is an urgent problem worldwide. The Health Organization itself (2022)31 establishes that half of the world population lives in countries where there is only one psychiatrist for at least every 200,000 inhabitants. In many places there are no formal mental health services and if they do exist, they are inaccessible. Well, mental health can be affected by an endless number of situations in our environment. Whether it is due to problems in the home itself, the climate, the social environment and even the work environment. Other factors, according to the Puerto Rican mental health company INSPIRA32, are the following: Especially where you live can significantly affect your mental health. Consumer magazine33 talks about research by Jens Pruessner in which he concludes that “living in a city increases the probability of suffering anxiety, depression and stress disorders by 21%.” This compared to people who live in rural areas, since it is in the cities where there is more population density, car traffic, more noise, fast pace of life, lack of green spaces and more pollution. The World Health Organization34 mentions that currently more than half of the world’s population lives in cities. And it is then expected that by the year 2030, at least 60% of the population will live in urban areas. Since living in cities also has its advantages, it is in these where there are more job opportunities and there are more health services; this compared to life in the countryside or slightly more rural areas.

Aesthetics: messy spaces produce anxiety, while order invokes calm.

Sensory: the lighting, temperature, sounds, smells, and colors of an environment influence people’s moods. An example of this is loud and/or excessive noise which can cause anxiety or agitation.

People: Conflicts or unreliable people can be sources of stress. Culture and values: people are sociable beings, not connecting with other people can manifest in feelings of isolation and depression.

Familiarity: Being in new environments with unfamiliar people can bring up feelings of depression and anxiety.

31 OMS, “Informe Mundial Sobre Salud Mental: Transformar La Salud Mental Para Todos”, 2022, https://www.who.int/es/publications/i/ item/9789240050860.

32 INSPIRA. (2021) “Cómo Tu Ambiente Afecta Tu Salud Mental.” INSPIRA, https://www.inspirapr.com/post/como-tu-ambiente-afecta-tu-salud-mental. 34 OMS, “Informe Mundial Sobre Salud Mental: Transformar...”

Although the simple fact of living in the countryside, surrounded by vegetation does not mean that people do not suffer from these disorders. It is in these areas where higher levels of poverty, limited services, long travel distances and fewer social opportunities can be found; which makes people prone to depression and anxiety. But this is not necessarily a determining factor, since people who live in the countryside or in more isolated areas tend to share the same socioeconomic characteristics, and there is usually greater communication and collaboration between people. This is compared to cities, where there is usually social and labor competition, which increases people’s stress (Grisales, 2018)35. Therefore, the solution to suffer less risk of suffering from a mental problem is not simply to go to live in the country, but that urban conditions should be healthier, there should be more contact with nature.

“...a space can help people heal or make people even sicker.”

Green areas have a beneficial power, the simple fact of seeing vegetation helps to combat cognitive fatigue and stress. It has been proven that green areas can reduce stress levels by up to 20% (Zamora, 2016)36. Spending time in close proximity to nature can improve not only the perception of general health and well-being, but also strengthen the immune system. In addition, it increases interaction between people, reduces anxiety and increases self-esteem (Querol, 2022)37. As it has also been proven that nature encourages creativity and makes people less aggressive. However, nature also has its negative effects, because just as it helps to improve the well-being of people, it can also affect them. It is useless to go out for air, if it is contaminated, or to go for a walk through abandoned areas full of garbage. Without a healthy environment, we cannot have stable mental and physical health. Actually, each space, whether rural or urban, has its own stressors. Although what is clear is that in a certain way cities increase the risk of suffering from a mental problem. Either due to social skills, density, excessive noise or the lack of green areas. It is then that art, together with nature and architecture, become part of the solution to remedy the problem. “...sometimes all it takes is a momentary change of environment.”

35 Grisales, Paula, “Para Tener Una Mente Sana, ¿Mejor El Campo O La Ciudad?” Revista Pesquisa Javeriana, (2018) https://www.javeriana.edu.co/ pesquisa/para-tener-una-mente-sana-mejor-el-campo-o-la-ciudad/.

36 Zamora, Mey, “Por Qué El Diseño Urbano y La Salud Mental Deben Ir De La Mano.” La Vanguardia, 2016, https://www.lavanguardia.com/vivo/ciudad/20160823/403986990529/ciudad-diseno-urbano-salud-psicologia. html. 37 Querol, Mireia. (2022) “Beneficios De La Naturaleza Para Tu Salud Mental y Física.” Biologueando, https://www.biologueando.com/beneficios-naturaleza-salud/.

Population Density

Photo by LT Chan

Car Traffic

Photo by Lübna Abdullah

Noise

Photo by Ricardo Ortiz

Accelerated pace of life

Photo by Skitterphoto

Lack of green spaces

Photo by Ricardo Esquivel

Pollution

Photo by Craig Adderley

“living in a city increases the probability of suffering from anxiety, depression and stress disorders by 21%”. - Jens Pruessner

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